Love Me For Me
by MyNomDePlum
Summary: Enchanted Forest Emma is on a quest given to her by Robin which is to steal a necklace from within the castle. The trouble is that Princess Regina wears it and Emma ends up in a trickier situation than expected. Will she complete her quest as told or will a secret romance occur? Emma is in disguise and everyone assumes she's a man. Her secret does get revealed. SwanQueen Ship!
1. Chapter 1

Robin sat next to Emma at the table in the pub. They both ordered ale to drink and Robin said, "You are the only person out of our band of merry men who isn't wanted by the royal guards. It'd be easier for you to become Princess Regina's servant! Imagine how much that necklace would be worth when we can sell it off and use the money to feed the families who need it. If you're as skilled as you say you are, then you should have no problem. I didn't take you under my wing because I took pity on you. I did it because I could tell that you were a good person who wanted to help others."

Emma stood and shook his hand, "I won't come back without the necklace."

He smiled brightly at her, "You're doing a lot of good, Emma. Thank you."

Nightfall came and Emma was dressed in her beige tunic, a dark blue vest with brass buttons on the side, a leather belt with a buckle, dark blue trousers, and black gloves ending below the elbow. She finished with a cloak that had a hood.

Looking up at the stone wall in front of her, she'd thought of many ways to get into the garden, which was the easiest way to the castle, but didn't realize it was this tall. Her eyes scanned the lower parts of the wall and found very thick vines that went to the top. It was a good thing Emma stayed slim and in shape. She would be prepared for anything that required physical strength. Grabbing tightly onto a vine, she hoisted herself up. It wasn't long before she had reached the top and saw a beautiful apple tree that stood proudly in the center of the garden.

Her foot was caught in the vine which caused her to lose her balance and fell down into bushes. Emma had injured her ankle on the way down. She took a deep breath and thanked the Gods that she didn't fall to her death. As she was about to stand up, she heard footsteps entering the garden. Emma's eyes adjusted to the darkness as she saw a woman a little older than her walking towards the apple tree. The crimson apples looked delicious as they shimmered in the moonlight. Emma's stomach began to growl.

The woman had a lantern that she held up to make sure that everything was in place. Emma could see that she had dark hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She wore a dress that looked as if it were made of pure gold, a necklace that reflected off the light produced by the lantern. Emma noticed the necklace she wore was the one Robin had described to her in perfect detail. She knew that the only woman in the kingdom with an apple tree was Princess Regina. This was going to be more difficult than she had predicted.

Regina had moved out of view and Emma waited until the light was no longer visible. She took her chance to sneak across the garden to steal one of the apples. She decided it was safest to hide among the branches and eat as many as she wanted to. Emma lifted herself with ease and winced a little as her ankle touched a branch. It caused the branches to shake.

"Who is there?" Regina shouted up at the tree knowing full well that someone had entered her sanctuary. "If you don't come out, then I'll call the guards on you. I will tell them that you wanted to cause me harm. Trust me; you don't want them to take you in front of my mother to be punished. She's a lot crueler than the rumors that spread across the kingdom."

Emma was a bit frightened at the thought of being at the mercy of the Queen and knew that her punishments have become more severe as the years had passed. She slowly got down from the tree with an apple in her mouth. Emma bit into it and used the back of her gloved hand to wipe off the juices. "This is really delicious, your highness."

Princess Regina snapped, "You're the worst mannered man I've ever met!"

Emma rolled her eyes, "At least I'm able to appreciate true beauty when I see it or taste it." She winked.

"You shouldn't be saying such vulgar things, especially to your princess!" Emma was about to say more when guards had appeared behind her.

"Princess, we heard a disturbance and apparently have now found the source of it." Emma winced when she was grabbed roughly by one of the guards and dropped the apple. The pain in her ankle had intensified as she put too much pressure on it. Regina watched as the young man was being taken to where her mother was and followed the guards. The only thought that was running through Emma's mind was that the last thing she'd ever do in her life was eat that apple and flirting with the princess.

Queen Cora Mills had been awoken by one of her servants who said that her daughter was ambushed only a few moments ago. She was dressed and was now sitting on her throne while she beckoned her daughter to sit beside her. Emma's arms were still gripped a bit too tightly and one guard kicked the back of her legs so she was on her knees before them.

"Do you know the punishment for entering the castle without permission let alone almost harming my daughter in the process?" Cora didn't wait for a response when she swiftly moved her hand as a sign to one of the guards. He took out his sword, put it against the back of Emma's neck to prove its sharpness, and rose it above his head.

Regina might not have liked his mannerisms, but it seemed wrong for him to be put to death for it. "Mother, wait!" Regina yelled and the guard looked up at his queen for guidance.

The Queen looked at her daughter, "Now Regina, you know the punishment for his crimes."

"I want him to be my servant and remain in my servitude until I lose interest in him or he has served me long enough." The Queen paused at this thought and signaled the guard to stop what he was doing.

Regina knew that her mother couldn't deny her ever since her father had died and she had become her happiness. Emma gave out a sigh of relief as the sword was removed from her neck. She shakily stood as the guards supported her.

"From this day forward, you will serve my daughter and obey her every command, What's your name?"

Emma looked at her, "My name is Emmet, your highness." She did her best to cover the pain she was in and bowed to Regina and her mother. The guards showed "Emmet" the way to a servant sleeping quarter and it was close to Regina's quarter as well. Regina had followed, but kept some distance so as not to be spotted.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma wasn't used to such extravagant looking rooms, but she knew she could get used to it. The guards pushed her into the room and slammed the door. Emma regained her balance and decided to take in her surroundings. A single bed with soft looking sheets and two pillows, a chest at the foot of the bed, a desk, and a washing basin were what decorated the room.

Emma laughed as she imagined Robin and his men camping in the woods having to deal with Mother Nature. She, on the other hand, was safe from all of it. Limping over to the bed, Emma sat so she could access the damage to her ankle.

Removing her boots, Emma laid her injured foot on her knee to have a closer look. She touched the swollen area and bit her lip in order to not yell words that Princess Regina considered "vulgar." She grinned at this thought and wondered where the princess was now. As if on cue, there was a light knock at the door.

"Are you decent in there?" Regina hesitated.

"Yes, your highness," Emma responded.

"I wanted to make sure that you were settling in. This isn't the grandest room here, but servants don't get the best." Princess Regina entered the room; keeping an eye on the new guest.

Emma chuckled, "If servants had what you had, then the kingdom would be in total chaos!"

Regina smiled a little and noticed her servant's ankle. "I'll help wrap that for you. It looks very painful." She walked towards Emma and sat next to her.

"It wouldn't be proper for you to be helping me. I appreciate your concern, but I've had worse happen to me." Emma paused to let the information sink in.

Regina shook her head. "Even so, I wouldn't want my servant to not be able to serve me when need be."

Emma smirked, "I can do a lot of serving without my ankle." Regina rolled her eyes, opened her palm, and a purple cloud of smoke appeared. When it went evaporated, the bandages lay in her palm.

Emma was transfixed by her palm "Y-You used magic!"

Regina sat a little closer, "Does magic frighten you?"

Emma shook her head, "I'm impressed that you have it. Let alone use it to your advantage."

"I can heal your ankle so we don't have to use these." She said while focusing on Emma.

"Don't use your magic on me, your highness. I'm capable of handling this on my own." Emma picked up the bandage and her fingers caressed Regina's palm. It was the softest thing that she had ever touched. Emma wondered if the rest of Regina was just as soft. She noticed Regina blush a little.

Emma began to wrap her ankle. She took her time in order to admire Regina's beauty and briefly look at the necklace. "I know you technically already own me, but I do owe you my life. You risked the Queen's wrath being directed at you instead of me."

Regina sighed, "I only asked for you to be my servant and I don't expect you to serve me. I'll ask you to do a few things to keep up appearances though."

Emma shrugged, "Even so, I'm willing to serve you. It's not every day that I meet a beautiful woman such as yourself."

"I appreciate the compliment Emmet." Although Regina hadn't said her real name, Emma still felt her heart beat a little faster than before.

Regina stood up, "It's time for me to turn in. Rest well, Emmet. You'll start tomorrow."

"Sweet dreams, Princess."


	3. Chapter 3

Emma was well rested and she took the time to stretch her body out underneath the sheets. This was probably the first time that she had slept in an actual bed instead of a make shift one that she made at camp. She spent a few minutes to take in her surroundings and remember where she was.

As her eyes was taking in everything around her, she spotted the tub at the corner of the room. Her eyes lit up with excitement and made her way towards the tub while stripping off her clothes. She poured the bucket into the tub and sank down into the water. She picked up the soap and started to clean herself while taking her time.

If this was what heaven was like, then Emma knew that she wanted to stay in this moment forever. She felt her body relax and she was so in the moment that she even forgot why she was here in the first place. She was so comfortable that she felt her eyes grow heavy and she drifted off to sleep in the tub.

Regina knocked lightly and after hearing no response, she opened the door to her new servant's room. She saw that he was fast asleep in the tub and walked over to wake him up while averting her eyes.

Emma had woken up immediately when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder and tried to keep her emotions under control. This wasn't how she wanted to be discovered at all and so early in the mission too.

Regina kept her gaze on something else as she pulled a small stool over so she could sit down on it. "Emmet, I wanted to wake you up so that you wouldn't accidentally drown." Emma blushed a little at how embarrassing it was that she hadn't thought about that.

"Princess, do you think that you can hand me a towel, please?" Regina went to get a towel and handed it to Emma as she stood up. Regina had moved out of the way so that Emma could make her way to the chest where her clothes were.  
Emma was trying to dress herself at a fast pace so that she wouldn't be caught by Regina. She was beginning to have trouble buttoning her shirt and sighed in frustration. Regina took this opportunity to look up, walking over to Emma, and help her finish buttoning.

"If you're not careful, then you'll rip the buttons off." Regina scolded lightly as she began to button the rest. She decided to be bold and was fixing Emma's shirt. Emma had froze when Regina's hands had accidentally touched her chest.  
Emma bit her lip as she awaited for Regina to react. "You're a woman?" Emma nodded since she was at a loss for words. She saw how Regina was debating on what her next move would be.

Her demeanor had begun to change and her hand shot out to grab onto Emma's collar. The timid woman was no longer there and Emma prayed that Regina wouldn't go back on her word.

"Do you know that lying to royalty is a crime? Do you know what would happen to you if someone else had caught you instead of me?" She hissed and Emma nodded again. "You best choose your next words carefully or you will be visiting the gallows."

Emma took a few moments to let herself think things over before she answered, "I do know that it's a crime, but I also noticed the way that you were looking at me while the Queen was determining what my fate should be. I don't think you would've rescued me only because you could save a life. I think you did it because there was something about me that had caught your eye. There must've been something about me that had attracted you like a moth to the flame."

"You are very lucky that you are good with your tongue because if you'd said the wrong words, then I would've killed you myself." She said as she gripped tighter onto Emma's collar.

"Tell me your real name so that I know what to call you when we're alone." "My name's Emma Swan." "This changes everything, Emma Swan. The deal still stands and I will protect your true identity. The punishment that I will give you is that you will have to do every task that I give you without question. If you disobey me, then I will punish you severely." Regina had repeated her name and it had sent a shiver down Emma's spine.

Regina made sure that Emma looked the part and whispered in her ear, "If I hear you breathe a word of my attraction to you, then you will pay the price. I wouldn't tempt me, Emma Swan." She released Emma and smirked at her, "Your servitude begins now."


	4. Chapter 4

Emma was cleaning Regina's bedroom floor with a rag and was already cursing the princess under her breath. It wasn't her fault that Regina assumed that she was a man, but she had to admit to herself that she made a very attractive one. The blonde had almost finished when Regina walked into her bed chamber and her riding boots were making a mess on the floor.

"You missed a spot right there." Regina said as she pointed at the spot that Emma had been cleaning for the past thirty minutes. "No, I cleaned that and I'm going to have to clean the entrance again because of your damn boots!" Emma said as she looked up at at Regina.

"That's not how you talk to a princess and I suggest you clean it thoroughly this time. Next time, I'll make you clean more than just my bed chamber." Regina snapped and Emma was tempted to trip her, but decided not to. She thought that Regina was going to knock over her bucket, but thankfully, she didn't.

Regina sat down on her bed, "Come over here and help me taking off my riding boots since my feet are aching." Emma sighed, walked over to her, and kneeled down before her. This was probably her least favorite position since she hated how Regina was now physically above her besides above her status wise.

The blonde started unlacing her riding boots and then slowly took off each one. She looked up at Regina and waited for her to give her another order. "I like you at my feet, it suits you." She saw Regina smile and Emma glared at her.

"I don't care if I've to do physical labor, but there's no way in hell I'm going to let you talk down to me that way." Emma said as she stood up at her full height. Regina stood up, "You've no say in the matter!"

Emma easily towered over her and replied with,"That's total crap! I wasn't the one who assumed things and had my little feelings hurt. If it wasn't my head on the line, literally, I would tell everyone about how you're attracted to me in a way that you shouldn't be. So don't test me, princess."

Regina shoved Emma hard, but Emma only stumbled a little. "You shouldn't be testing me, peasant. You should know your place and keep your mouth shut."

Emma took a risk and shoved Regina back which caused her to fall on her bed.  
"You need a real dose of reality, princess. Whatever you do to me, I sure as hell can do the same thing back to you. As much as you threaten me, we both know the real reason why I'm still here."

Regina was speechless for a moment and then fired back with, "I'm going to show you that my threats are very real, Swan."


	5. Chapter 5

Regina did show Emma that she was serious about her threats and she had her working in the barn. Emma was now mucking out the stall for Rocinante and she was grateful that the horse wasn't a pain in the ass like his master.

Rocinante was close enough to Emma to see inside his stall and she could've sworn that he was making sure that she was doing a decent job. "I'm actually good at thing type of labor, so your stall will look good as new." She leaned in closer to the horse, "I even have something special for you."

She took an apple out of her pocket and held it out in her hand. "I was going to eat it for lunch, but I thought that you'd appreciate it a lot more than I would." Rocinante looked at it, then at Emma, and back at the apple again. After he waited a few moments, he took a large bite out of the apple.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Regina cried out as she ran into the barn to take the remaining part of the apple out of Emma's hand. "This is from my own tree in the garden. How dare you think that it's appropriate to feed someone else's horse, especially an apple!"

Emma rolled her eyes, "I highly doubt eating an apple is going to harm him any." Regina huffed, "Of course it won't cause any harm. I'm the only one that feeds him apples and it isn't your job." Emma shrugged, "I know, but he'd been doing such a good job of making sure I was doing my job so I thought it was only fair. You've a good guard here on your hands."

Regina raised her eyebrow and Emma could've sworn that she saw a hint of a smile. If she did, it quickly vanished. The princess made Emma give her enough room so that she could look at the stall herself.

Emma could tell that Regina wanted to say something critical, but the truth was that Regina couldn't find a reason. She took a step back and ended up tripping over the threshold into the stall.

The blonde had caught her as Regina fell and she pulled her close to her. "I got you, princess." She said nonchalantly as she realized how close Regina was to her body. Regina held her breath and she reluctantly pulled away from Emma. She had turned around to face Emma.

"Thank you for…" Regina's voice trailed off and Emma nodded in understanding. "I'll be here to catch you when you fall, Regina." She whispered low enough for only regina to hear her.

The brunette faced the blonde and cleared her throat, "You did an adequate job, so I think you should help me when I go out riding every morning." Emma nodded and did her best not to give away the fact that she was happy to hear the news.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Regina asked curiously. "No, peasants don't get that luxury, princess." Emma said. Regina sighed, "I'm sorry that I referred to you with that term." Emma chuckled, "Are you apologizing to your servant?" Regina rolled her eyes, "I think I should take back whatever I was saying…"

"No way princess, you can't take that back now that you said it!" Emma grinned brightly at her. "Oh hush up, you." Regina took her riding crop off of the door inside the stall and tapped Emma's cheek with it. She leaned in close and said, "If you don't behave then I'll have to use this on you." Emma felt a shiver run down her spine as Regina said those words.

Regina smiled at her and returned to being serious, "If you don't know how to ride a horse, then I'll have to teach you. I know that you're determined to prove that you can handle whatever I throw at you. Are you up for the challenge?"

Emma chuckled, "I'm up for it, but are you ready for me?" Regina blushed and Emma moved a little closer to her. "I'm ready to learn from the master." Regina smirked, "I won't go easy on you." Emma raised her eyebrow, "I never dreamed of it."


	6. Chapter 6

Princess Regina put the riding crop back where she got it from and was getting Rocinante ready so that Emma could ride him. She was leading him out of the stall and Emma was walking besides Regina since the last thing she wanted was to piss this horse off. She did like that Princess Regina's horse had his own personality and wasn't dumb as a brick like some of the horses she had seen.

They had been walking for a while until there was grass everywhere that the eye could see. It was a nice contrast to the stall that Emma had just finished cleaning. Even if there was grass and a few trees, it was a beautiful sight to behold. She was used to dirtier places.

Princess Regina had finally stopped and Emma almost walked right into her. She turned around, "Emma, it's time to start your lessons. It will begin slowly because I want you to have more than enough time to be comfortable around Rocinante. First, you can't start riding because he has to allow you to."

Emma chuckled, "I have to 'allow' a horse to let me ride him?"

She nodded, "Yes, he deserves respect. Once you respect him, then he will respect you in return. Until then, he won't allow you to ride him."

Emma looked at Rocinante and it was as though he understood her because he made himself look taller. The blonde began to slowly approach him with a hand stretched out. She wasn't sure if she was able to pet him, so she was standing there like an idiot with her hand out.

Princess Regina had giggled a little at Emma and waited a few seconds before putting her hand on Emma's. She was guiding her hand so that it was level with his nose and had placed Emma's hand on it.

"Is this the part where he bites off my hand and I become a pirate?"

"No, you're safe as long as you're with me. Just be patient."

A few minutes had passed before Emma saw Rocinante relax a little.

She was starting to pet him carefully just like you would pet a dog. He seemed to appreciate the gesture because he had learned in a little more. Emma was feeling a bit at ease with him with Princess Regina helping her. She didn't want this "lesson" to end because she loved the way that Princess Regina's hand was touching hers.

Princess Regina had moved her hand away from his nose and they move to the side of him. She has Emma gently touch him again and Rocinante remains still as he relaxes more. They do this until Emma feels better about being near the horse.

"Well Emma, it looks like you have won him over with your charm."

"If you weren't here, then I bet he wouldn't be won over."

"I doubt that's true, Emma. Normally, I would keep introducing you to him, but you look like you want to learn to ride him."

Regina had removed her hand from Emma's and Emma felt her hand become a little cold despite it being warm. She was getting used to feeling Regina's hand on her own. It was like it was meant to be touching hers.

The brunette approached her horse, put her foot in the stirrup pad, and pulled herself up while her other leg swung over the saddle. She made sure her other foot was in the stirrup pad as well before holding onto the reins.

"You might see other people that ride horses use their riding crops, but I will never use one on my Rocinante. He doesn't need it and I would never raise a hand to him. He understands me in a way that Mother never will."

Princess Regina said a command and her horse obeyed without hesitation. Emma walks next to her as she faces down her nemesis. They locked eyes and Emma was determined to not let a horse beat her.

It was now Emma's turn to ride him and she was coaching herself so she wouldn't be so scared. She did respect him and that was half the battle, right?

Regina was there to steady her as she put her foot in the stirrup pad. She silently prayed that he would stand still for her. She swung her leg over just as Regina had done. She felt like a King sitting on top of his throne.

"No wonder you like being up. I can see a lot more than being on the ground."

"You haven't experienced the best part, Emma. Remember to respect him and take the reins. I'll be guiding you the entire time."

"Sure thing, Princess."

Regina was walking and Rocinante was following her. He was behaving himself which made Emma a little suspicious. Regina noticed that her boot was untied, so she bent down to tie it. Since she was so distracted, he took his chance to buck Emma off. Emma had landed on her ass as Regina stood up.

"What happened?"

"Your horse bucked me off!"

Emma swore that she heard him neigh happily.

Regina held out her hand to Emma, "He likes to be a troublemaker sometimes. Let's try this again."

Emma was back riding him again and Regina never took her eyes off the pair. It was amusing to see the two that she cared about the most trying to get along.

She seemed to be successful riding him as Regina was talking to her about horses. Emma loved the way Regina's eyes lit up as she spoke about them.

"Rocinante and I grew up together, so our bond is very close. He was there for me when my father died."

"I'm happy that you had such a loving companion to care for you."

Regina smiled, "I know that I can always trust him. It's humans that you can't always trust. Mother told me that love is weakness, but I love him."

She pet him as they walked and Rocinante was enjoying every minute of it. He wasn't glad that Emma was riding him, but at least his master was with him.

Emma didn't want this moment to end, but the horse had other plans. He thought that he had behaved enough and bucked Emma one more time.

This time, Emma was on alert and didn't fall as badly as last time. She did feel bad when she landed on the ground. When Regina tried to make an attempt at helping Emma up again, she tripped, and fell on top of her.

The two women were inches apart and Emma was about to kiss her when another horse approached them. The moment was ruined by none other the The Queen, Cora.

"What are the two of you doing? Emmet, get off the ground at once and help Regina back on her feet!"

The two of them scrambled to their feet and Emma bowed to Cora. She was embarrassed that she missed the opportunity to kiss Regina, let alone was almost caught by The Queen.

The two of them walked back to the stables and Regina taught her how to the groom Rocinante. He didn't fight with Emma this time since he thought Cora berating Emma was enough. Regina even let her give him a few apples which he gladly thanked her.

"You know, he isn't so bad after all. I thought he was going to bite my hand, but then he licked me!"

Regina smiled as they walked back to the castle and she held onto Emma's arm all the way there. Emma couldn't stop from smiling either.


	7. Chapter 7

The two women had to separate as they went to their own bedrooms. Emma didn't want the two of them to part since she felt like she was really connecting with Regina. She was opening up to her more than before.

She had a foolish idea to sneak into Regina's room after waiting a few hours until the guards switched. She got out of bed and quietly enterex Regina's room. She wasn't prepared to be face to face with a dark purple glowing hand.

"Don't hurt me, it's just me, Regina!"

"What are you doing, Emma? I could've incinerated you!"

"I don't think I would taste good if I was."

Regina made the magic glow disappear from her hand.

"Why are you here?"

Regina wrapped herself in a warm gown.

"I haven't seen you that happy before. You're usually more tense."

Regina sighed, "It's the only way that I can be free from my Mother."

"I'm honored that you were willing to share that special moment with me."

Emma watched Regina settle back into bed. She was about to try something bold and hoped that it would be received well.

Emma was moving closer to Regina and sat on the edge of her bed next to her.

"Good night, Princess Regina."

Emma bent down to kiss Regina on the lips and Regina wrapped her arms around the blonde to pull her in closer.

Neither of them wanted it to end, but Emma finally pulled away.

"Good night, Emma."

Emma went to her room with the biggest smile on her face.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: There will be a lot of angst in this chapter. I also wanted to say thank you to** **Fenix-Jane-Quinn and SwanQueen4tw for all the help in making this fic possible! 3 They have helped with Chapter 6 and onward.**

Regina woke up the next morning in such a delightful mood. She touched her lips in remembrance of the kiss from the night before. She never expected Emma to kiss her without any warning, but she liked that part about her.

As she got dressed, she repeatedly told herself that the kiss was a one time incident and she wouldn't let it repeat again. It wasn't because she didn't want it to happen again, but she couldn't allow herself to be vulnerable like that.

Ever since Emma had come to stay with her, Regina was able to be the woman she truly was. It was a relief because her beloved horse wouldn't have to be the only one that knew her in that way.

Emma had been floating on cloud nine ever since the kiss and she woke up in the clothes that she wore the night before. She changed her clothes and knocked on the door. The last thing she wanted was to repeat her mistake again and almost have her hair set on fire.

Regina opened the door and saw Emma smiling at her. Emma was prepared to take on her 'rival", Regina's horse. This time, she wouldn't let the beast control the situation.

"Are you ready to go to the barn, Princess? I promise not to fall."

Regina returned the smile, "We won't be visiting the stalls today. I know how much you love falling."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"So what adventure will we be going on today?"

"It's a surprise, Emma."

Regina lead the way out of the castle and down passed the stalls. They walked down a pathway until they reached an area that looked like a miniature colosseum. There were stone walls encircling the dirt floor. In the middle of the arena were guards practice fighting.

At the entrance, there were multiple types of weapons lined up. They were wooden ones as well as metal ones. There was a bow and arrow set, crossbows, and other ranged weapons. There was also practice arnor that varied from the full guards' armor to leather versions.

Emma's eyes lit up with excitement at everything that was before her eyes.

"I can tell that you must really like what you see."

"I have heard rumors about the guards trainings as a kid. My friends and I would pretend we were guards and "train" together to protect the princess. I was the one that rescued her too."

Regina raised an eyebrow, "You were the rescuer?"

"Well yeah, the boys I played with had no idea how to rescue a princess from a giant dragon."

The brunette found it amusing that Emma would ever play such a game like that as a child.

The two of them had entered the arena and the guards fighting one another immediately stopped when they saw Princess Regina.

"Good morning, Princess Regina. What may we assist you with today?"

"Mother wants me to train my magic and I was wondering if you could teach my servant, Emmet, how to wield a sword."

One of the guards glanced at Emma, "I'm afraid I can't teach your servant, your highness. You know that it's against the law to teach anyone except a royal guard how to fight with a weapon."

"Yes, I understand that Mother said that, but what if you aren't able to get to me in time and he is? Would you risk the safety of your princess?"

"N-No, we never would! I will show your servant how to wield a sword."

While Regina was using her magic on a dummy made of straw and one made out of a flower bag full of grain, Emma was learning how to hold a sword first.

"Emmet, is it?"

"Yes, that's my name."

"I'm only doing this because of Princess Regina. Before I will let you hold a _real_ sword, you have to learn how to wield a wooden one. If you don't listen to everything I say, then I will stop teaching you. Is this understood?"

"Yes Sir."

He had grabbed a wooden sword and tossed it to Emma, who caught it easily. The guard traded in the sword he held for a wooden one as well.

"You need to hold it by the handle and stand with your feet a part like this."

Emma copied the stance that the guard did and watched him very closely.

He started to tell her about all the techniques necessary to know when it came to fighting.

She had learned fairly quickly and was now at the point where she could "kill" the straw dummy. She hit it with the sword and the dummy swung around, but she dodged it. She did this for what seemed like forever. The guard finally said that she could stop fighting it.

"I'm impressed that you were able to catch on quickly. Even the new guards here tend to be a bit slow when it comes to learning. I have even seen some drop their "sword" on their foot. I told them that if it was a real sword, then they would've lost a limb."

The guard handed her a real sword, "I think you're ready to wield the real thing. If I didn't think you were ready, you wouldn't be holding one."

Emma cautiously took it from the guard and watched him exchange his weapon too. They were now facing one another with each of their swords drawn. The guard had said that at the count of three, they would begin their duel.

She rushed the guard, who dodged her attack. She was able to recover and defended herself when the guard's sword came crashing down on hers. The way that someone would "win" a duel when training is if there was a safe word or the first shed of blood. The guard never told Emma which it was.

The blonde woman did her best to hold him off, but she felt the weight of his sword bearing down on her. If she wasn't careful, then she could possibly be injured. She used her leg to kick his chest, which forced the guard back. This gave her the opportunity to find her footing again.

The guard advanced on her and as he swung at her, she ducked and tripped him. He landed on his back and Emma pointed the sword at his throat. If she pressed down, then she could easily draw blood.

"You have to draw blood to win."

"No, I won't do it."

"Then you'll be seen as the loser."

"I don't care, I won't do it."

Emma removed the sword from his throat and the guard stood up. He easily towered over her. The guard stuck out his hand, "It was good training with you, Emmet. I hope that next time we meet, I can call you a winner."

He bent down closer to her so only she could hear him, "I consider you a winner."

Emma nodded and held onto the sword as she made her way over to Regina.

The dummy was a pile of ashes on the floor while the other one had large holes in its "body".

"So that's what would've happened to me if you used your magic fireball thing."

Regina smiled, "I told you that I knew how to use my magic. I saw that you decided to take the more honorable route and not shed blood."

"He never told me the rules."

"You never assume that he would say a safe word, that's not how he trains."

Emma was looking at her sword, "I was wondering if you could try training with me."

"Do you mean with a sword? I already know how to use one."

"No, I meant with your magic."

"That would give me an unfair advantage."

"I want to duel you then."

"Duel me? Have you lose your mind?"

"You can't say no to a duel, Princess."

Regina shook her head, "No, I refuse to duel you."

The guard that Emma had trained with came over to them, "You have to duel your servant, Princess Regina. You have no choice in the matter. Your Mother wouldn't approve of you turning it down."

The entire arena was emptied out except for Regina, Emma, and the guard.

"The rules to a duel is simple. The two of you can duel until the safe word has been said or until blood is shed. Since her highness is in the duel, it will only be the safe word. What is it going to be?"

"Apples."

"Very well, apples it is."

Regina had her fireball prepared as Emma locked eyes onto her target. She knew that this was probably a stupid idea, but she wanted to see Regina use her magic. She also needed to know how to defend herself if magic was used against her.

Emma waited a few minutes before rushing at Regina with her sword. When she was about to touch her with the tip, Regina vanished into a cloud of purple smoke.

"Hey, that's not fair!"

"This duel isn't supposed to be 'fair'."

Emma scowled and was ready for Regina to attack. The brunette had a fireball in each hand and she threw them at the blonde with precision. Emma had avoided all but one of them, which had burnt the side of her cheek. She hadn't expected Regina to actually hurt her.

The blonde woman pressed a hand against her cheek and winced.

Regina kept her focus on Emma as she had recovered after being burnt. She hadn't wanted to hurt her, but she couldn't lose to anyone, especially her servant. She had to be seen as being stronger than them.

Emma waited until she had come up with a plan. She was going to do something that was risky, but it was worth a shot. She acted as though she was about to throw her sword and Regina had disappeared once again.

When she had reappeared, Emma ran at her, and knocked her to the ground. Regina hadn't expected for her to do this at all. Something was coming over Emma and as she raised her sword the same way she had when the guard was on the ground, she wasn't hesitating. The sword was so close to touching Regina's throat, but it had been knocked out of Emma's hands and thrown a few feet away.

The guard had been watching this entire time and he had thrown one of his swords at the sword in Emma's hand. It had cut her knuckles, which caused her to drop it. The guard pushed Emma away from Regina and helped up his Princess.

"The duel is over."

He turned towards Emma.

"You're lucky that I was here to intervene or your head would be on a platter in front of The Queen. You got too caught up in the moment and I saw that gleam of bloodlust in your eyes. I think you should return to the castle, alone. I will escort Princess Regina with the rest of her duties."

Emma wanted to say something to defend herself, but she knew he was right. What had come over her? Was it because she was angry about Regina physically hurting her? Was it more than that?

She didn't say anything as the guard lead Regina out of the arena and left Emma standing there. She was staring down at the impression Regina's body made on the dirt floor. The look of fear in Regina's eyes were haunting her.

Emma had spent the rest of the afternoon with Rocinante and even he was ignoring her. She sat down on a small stool next to him. She thought about brushing him, but he wasn't letting her do so at this moment.

"I know I screwed up, okay? I don't know what came over me. Maybe I was just scared because I had only heard about what magic can do to people. She threw a fireball at my face and actually hit me! I couldn't let her get away with that."

Rocinante was turning around so Emma had to move before he tried to kick her.

"She brought something out in me that I never experienced before. I'm sorry, Rocinante, I didn't mean to hurt her. Who knows if she'll even forgive me. You should've seen that look in her eye..."

Rocinante's ears seemed to perk up and he turned to face her.

"It's nice to not get a view of your ass anymore."

When he sneezed, Emma barely avoided whatever came out of his nose.

"Nevermind, I think I preferred you facing away from me."

He was about to headbutt her when Regina heard a familiar sound.

"I told you that you need to respect him or else he won't respect you."

Rocinante was now in between them and Emma was having trouble looking over him. She was now standing on top of the stool to get a view of Regina.

"Regina, I'm so sorry."

Regina went over to pick up a brush and began to brush him.

Emma had finally balanced herself on the stool when Rocinante had decided to move to make it more difficult on her. She was trying not to grab onto the horse, but was tempted to when she felt that she was losing her balance. The blonde woman found the right footing again and he stood still as Regina brushed him.

A few minutes had passed and Regina was still brushing her horse while ignoring Emma's presence. Regina was beyond hurt by what Emma had done. How could someone she cared about hurt her in such a way? She expected it from her mother, but not from Emma.

Emma got off the stood and was walking towards Regina while avoiding Rocinante. He was too engrossed in having Regina brush him that he didn't notice Emma moving away from him.

She was standing in front of Regina and looked her right in the eyes.

"Regina, I said I was sor-"

The brush that was in Regina's hand had disappeared and in its place was the riding crop. Emma felt unbearable pain when it came into contact with her cheek. The magic that Regina used on Emma in the battle had a temporary effect, so the burn had healed when Emma left the arena.

The riding crop's force had made a cut on her cheek and the blood was dripping from it. Emma was on the ground and looking up at Regina, who was ready to strike again. Emma could've defended herself, but she didn't. She told herself that she deserved it since she almost ended Regina's life.

Regina was about to strike Emma again when she caught a reflection of herself in Rocinante's eyes. In that moment, she thought that she had seen her Mother instead of her in his eyes. She dropped the riding crop, dropped down to her knees, and held Emma tight to herself.

Tears were streaming down Regina's face as she held onto Emma tighter.

"You're going to stain your clothes if you keep holding me like this."

"Shut up."

Emma kept her mouth shut as Regina continued this awkward embrace. The blonde woman did something that Regina hadn't expected, she wiped her tears away.

"You look so beautiful when you cry."

Regina rested her head on Emma's shoulder and the two of them stayed like that for a while. Neither of them moved a muscle and Emma felt all the sadness in the world as Regina remained where she was.

"I forgive you, but can you forgive me?"

Emma responded by kissing Regina's tears away and had moved to kiss her on the lips. The kiss was the only way that Emma knew how to express her feelings in this particular moment. She couldn't trust her voice right now and hoped that Regina understood.

When Regina responded by kissing her back, Emma knew that she got her message across.


	9. Chapter 9

Regina was so exhausted from crying that she had fallen asleep in Emma's arms. The knew all too well how crying could make someone so tired. Rocinante had put himself back into the stall and Emma locked it in place while still holding on Regina. With both of her hands, she was able to walk back to the castle.

Her cheek had stopped bleeding and she could see the small stain on Regina's clothing. It was barely noticeable to anyone else looking at it. Emma was feeling such mixed emotions when it came to the woman she was carrying. They had brought each other so much pain.

She ascended the stairs, opened Regina's bedroom door, and placed her gently under the covers. Regina was stirring in her sleep and before Emma could leave, she held onto her hand.

"Don't go, Emma, not yet."

"Regina…"

"Please stay for a little longer."

Emma wanted to leave, but Regina's words had kept her in place. She turned around as Regina changed into her nightgown and went back under the covers. Emma had taken her place on the edge of the bed and didn't make any movement towards lying next to Regina. She didn't feel like she had earned that right yet.

"It's okay, Emma."

Regina pulled back the covers and Emma was lying down next to her. She was trying to ignore the stinging on her cheek, but it wasn't so easy to forget. Regina had touched the cut on Emma's cheek and a glow was coming from it. Emma held onto Regina's hand.

"No magic, Regina."

"It'll leave a scar."

"It's just a scar, Regina. I have plenty of those so one more won't hurt."

Regina frowned at those words. She wanted to heal every scar on Emma's body because maybe if she did, she could erase all the memories that went along with them. She looked at the damage she had caused the blonde.

She was laying her head down on Emma's chest and listening to her heart beat. It was the most relaxing sound. She felt Emma run her fingers through her hair and heard her humming a tune. Emma wanted to soothe Regina after what had happened. The both of them just wanted to heal from today's ordeal.

It took no time at all for Regina to fall asleep again. As much as Emma didn't want to leave Regina, she knew that she had to get back to her room. Nightfall was approaching soon and she didn't want to be caught in bed with the princess. She reluctantly got out of bed and made sure that Regina was comfortable before closing the door.

On her way to her room, she saw a door that was cracked open slightly. In the room was The Queen talking to her Magic Mirror. "Everything is going according to plan. I will do everything to show that Regina should only love me and not some peasant. I did away with her father when I learned that she loved him more than me. I can easily do the same to that servant of hers."

Emma notices that there is a magic book opened in The Queen's hands as she is speaking to her Magic Mirror.

"How will you get rid of the servant, Your Majesty? It's best not to commit a murder a second time, you were lucky to get away with it the first time."

"You're right, that would be too tiresome to do."

The Queen drums her fingers on the magic book and then stops.

"I will put a curse on this land and make it so that Regina shall only love me. She will completely be under my control and will forget all about that little servant of hers. The only thing that Regina will desire is to always make me happy. This text in my hands is exactly what I need to enact it."

"That's a very clever idea, Your Majesty. Will you perform it tonight?"

"I will enact the curse tomorrow night, Mirror. It will give me plenty of time to tear those two apart."

The blonde caught a good look at the magic book that was being held in The Queen's hands. It was a crimson colored leather bound book with gold trimming. The pages were black as coal with white letters on top of it.

The Queen was about to turn around to face the door when Emma ran as fast as she could to Regina's room again. She was in front of Regina's bed when she began to shake her. Regina was mumbling at first, but then was fully awake.

"What is it, Emma?"

"Your Mother is planning something awful."

"What are you talking about?"

"She said that she killed your father and that she wants to put a curse on you. She was going to use this red magic book too."

"That's preposterous, Emma! My Mother didn't kill my Father, he died of a heart attack. I have heard that she has a red magic book that is filled with spells, but it's for more "experienced" magic users. You should go to bed, Emma, you're not thinking straight."

"Yes I am, Regina, and I'll prove it to you."

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to steal that magic book and bring back proof that I'm right."

"Don't be so foolish, Emma, go to bed."

Emma walked out the door, went to her room, and waited until The Queen left the room.

It was several hours until The Queen had left the room and Emma saw that she had left it unlocked. Everyone feared The Queen, so she saw no harm in keeping rooms unlocked. A servant knew that going into her room meant death. Even so, Emma was going to prove to Regina that her Mother was truly evil.

Emma successfully sneaks into the Queen's bedroom while she's away at court and looks around to see if the Magic Mirror is awake. She sees that The Queen had placed a black silky sheet on it.

The blonde woman was able to open the book for a brief moment before it started to burn her hands. She tried to read as much of the words as she could and she was lucky that it revealed itself to her. Normally, magic books wouldn't reveal its words unless someone with magic was reading it. She noticed that the longer she held it, the more damage it burned her hands. She was really beginning to hate having anything to do with fire. She was flipping through the pages as quickly as she can before closing it. It might leave a mark, but at least she found the curse that The Queen was going to use.

Once Emma is safely in her room, she tried to stop the burning by putting it under cold water. The water was doing a wonderful job of soothing her. She climbed into bed to get some rest and was ready to reveal to Regina what the truth was.

The Queen returned to her bedroom and sees that her magic book has been tampered with. She furiously takes off the black silky sheet and demanded if the Magic Mirror had heard any noises. The Magic Mirror looks frightened, but he shakes his head.

The Queen wants the culprit caught and tells the Magic Mirror to wake everyone up.

"Your Majesty, don't you think that this is a bit rash? I doubt that any harm was done."

"A bit rash? Someone has put their filthy hands on my magic book! I will find whoever had done such a thing."

She holds the book close to her, "I put a spell on it so that whoever touches it other than me will have burn marks on their hand. No matter how much the individual tries to make it disappear or try to cool their hands, it won't stop the magic from leaving its permanent mark."

The Magic Mirror went into each mirror that was placed in everyone's rooms and told them to wake up. The Queen watches as all the servants and Princess Regina form a line in front of her.

The Queen looks at everyone of them and holds out her magic book.

"Somebody has touched something that isn't theirs. Instead of using my normal techniques to get information out of you all, I will just ask you to hold out your hands. There would be a special brand on their hands and their hands will be burning. I am very proud of the spell, after all, I did make it myself."

Emma becomes nervous when The Queen walks down the line and looks at the servants' hands. Regina looks at Emma and can see the panic on her face. She turns away from the blonde and focuses on her mother.

When The Queen reaches Emma, Emma hesitates a moment before revealing her hands. The burns that had been on her hands before had disappeared. She knew that Regina had helped her get rid of the brand that the spell had caused.

The Queen doesn't bother to look at Regina's hands and is standing in front of everyone once again.

"I will find out who touched my book if it's the last thing I do! One of you are guilty and I will find out who."

She pointed a threatening finger and everyone was frozen in fear, even Regina.

Everyone had made their way back to their bedrooms. Emma and Regina walked together since their rooms were very close together. Emma looked at Regina and mouthed the words "Thank you". Regina replied with, "You're welcome".

Emma was lying on her bed and let out a sigh of relief. That was too damn close for her. If she had been caught, she wouldn't be put to death on the spot. Oh no, The Queen would probably torture her and then kill her. She shuddered at the thought as she put the covers over her head.

The more that she thought about what might've happened if she was caught, the more she questioned whether it was still a good idea to stay here. Yes, she had no choice, but she also couldn't risk doing something like that again for Regina. She could put Regina in danger once again. She reminded herself that she wasn't there to be Regina's friend, she was supposed to steal that damn necklace for Robin.

Emma forced herself out of the warm bed and snuck back into Regina's room. The brunette was sleeping soundly and the blonde saw the moon reflect off of the necklace. Regina normally wore it to sleep, but tonight, she had it lying on her night table. It was so beautiful up close.

Without thinking, Emma took it, and took one longing look at Regina. She didn't belong here in this world with a princess. She belonged to the village that was far from the castle. She had to get away from The Queen and her daughter. She had to cut ties, for Regina's safety, or so she told herself.


	10. Chapter 10

Emma was climbing the vine that would help her get over the castle wall. She landed with a soft thud as her boots had made contact with the ground. She placed the necklace around her neck and made it so that her shirt covered it up.

She makes her way to the tavern and sees Robin sitting at their usual table. The moment Robin laid eyes on her, he slid her a full mug of beer as she sat down.

"I see that you have survived your quest. So where's the necklace?"

Emma took it off and was about to hand it to Robin, who had his hand open. Before she put it in her hand she said, "I want to become one of your Merry Men."

"You can't just 'become' one of my Merry Men just because you stole a silly little necklace."

"Your 'silly little necklace' almost cost my head! You owe me this."

"I don't owe you anything, Emma. In fact, you owe me. If me and my Merry Men never stumbled upon you as a baby, then you would've been eaten by the wolves or the frost would've killed you. Hand it over, I have to sell this to feed the poor like I said I would."

Emma glares at him and holds onto the necklace.

"Now Emma, be reasonable here. You can either give it to me or I can call one of The Queen's guards over here. They would overlook me if they saw that you had stolen something from Princess Regina. I would be highly rewarded for my action."

The blonde let go of the necklace and it fell directly into Robin's hand.

"Tell me Emma, was that so hard?"

Emma threw the beer onto Robin and it went through to his clothes. She stormed out without looking back for even a second. Her blood was boiling over how Robin had just used her. All her life, she had wanted a family and thought that Robin and his Merry Men were it.

Now that her mind was finally clear, all she could think about was going back to Regina. She wanted to feel her warm body next to hers and feel her soft kisses. Even though it had started raining, the feelings that Emma had for Regina was keeping her warm.

When Robin leaves the tavern, he is hidden out of sight. A cloud of purple smoke appears and Robin suddenly turns into The Queen. She starts to laugh at how well she played Emma for a fool and how she had fallen into her hands. She had the proof that she needed to show Regina that Emma was just a peasant and a thief.


	11. Chapter 11

Regina wakes up in the morning and is getting ready for the day. She moves her hand to her night table to put her necklace on, but she notices that it's gone. She begins to panic and is tearing her room apart to find it. She had never taken it off because it had been a gift from her Father. He wasn't one to focus on materialistic things, but he had made it for her on her eighteenth birthday. It was the most precious gift that she had ever received from anyone.

She rushes out the door to wake Emma up so that she could help her find the necklace, but she sees that the bed was empty. She was beyond furious that her necklace was gone and she quickly came to the conclusion that it was Emma. She used her magic on the bedframe and it cracked the wood, causing it to fall onto the bed.

Some of the servants rushed in to see what had caused the loud noise. They were running around the room trying to fix the damage as Regina made her way to breakfast. As she was walking down the hallway, she saw her mother talking to the guards.

"Do you remember that bloody peasant that followed my daughter around like a lost puppy? Well, I found out she is nothing but a thief! I wonder if she will bleed just like Henry did when I killed him. I don't care if I have to force Regina to love me by using a curse."

The blood drains from Regina's face as she heard what her Mother had been planning and saw her hold the necklace out for the guards to see. She made her way back to her room and made a rope by tying her bed sheets together. The fight with Emma had left Regina drained of her magic. If she had slept longer, then she would've regained it through sleeping.

Regina felt so betrayed by the woman that she had fallen in love with and the Mother that was supposed to love her. Instead, she ended up with a woman that had used her to steal a necklace and a Mother that was willing to put a curse on her to receive Regina's love.

When Regina had climbed over the castle wall through her garden, she was running towards the village to find Emma. Even if she was drained of magic, Emma didn't know this. She could use it as an advantage to get Emma to steal her necklace back for her. She wished that Emma hadn't been so damn charming.

As Regina walks through the forest, she hears a snap. A net appears to have surrounded her and it ascended into the trees. She was trying to regain her composure as she hung in the net. She could've easily magicked her way out if she had the strength. Instead, she might have to wait for someone to rescue her. She hated the idea of being rescued.

Emma was walking through the forest and heard yelling coming from a few feet ahead. Her curiosity takes the best of her and she walks in that direction. She's surprised to see Regina in the net.

"You do know that the net your caught in is for small game, right?"

"Why would you use a net to capture one? Do you know how dangerous this is? I wouldn't be in this contraption if it wasn't for you!"

"Oh, so this is _my_ fault that your trapped?"

"Yes it is. If you hadn't run away with my necklace, then none of this would've happened."

"I was doing it to help the poor. You didn't have any use for it."

"It was given to me by my father!"

"Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have taken it if that were the case. I know how precious things are if a parent gives it to you."

"Will you help me get it back?"

"Of course, anything for you."

"Can you get me out of here first? I think I hurt myself."

Emma took out a knife to cut into the net and caught Regina.

"I told you that I wouldn't let you fall."

Regina scowled, "I'm still not very happy with you."

"Let me make it up to you then."

Emma kisses Regina and tries to put her on the ground.

Regina winces and says, "Please carry me, I can't put any pressure on my ankle."

"As you wish."

Emma lifts Regina into her arms effortless and as Regina relaxes in her arms, she feels at home. She wraps her arms around Emma's neck and snuggles closer to her.

"Where to, Princess?"

"The castle."

"Why?"

"Everything you said about my Mother was true. She's going to try to make me love her."

"You can't force love though."

She looks up at Emma.

"I know."

Emma's legs were much stronger than before as she walked towards the castle. She couldn't imagine doing it barefeet like Regina had. She saw that the bottom of her feet had been cut up by the rocks or branches that were everywhere.

"You must've been pretty angry with me if you ran out here without anything on your feet."

"I didn't have any time to think. Father had given that to me for my eighteenth birthday before he…"

Regina wasn't able to finish her sentence as she tried to hold back her tears. She silently cursed Emma because ever since she had come into her life, she had cried more than she ever had in her life. She didn't even cry this much during her Father's funeral.

The guards at the entrance didn't ask any questions as they let Emma inside the castle. Regina was able to rest some in Emma's arms and felt her magic being replenished once more. She healed the bottom of her feet. Although Emma saw Regina using her magic, she didn't put her down until they were inside.


	12. Chapter 12

Emma put Regina down on the floor when the two of them had reached the throne room. It was the place where Emma had been on her knees in front of The Queen as she threatened to execute her. Although it was sunny outside, the throne room had been cast mainly in shadow. Some light had peaked out through the curtains, but not very much.

Once they reach the end of the throne room, they would be in the clear. Emma saw that they were only a few feet away from the exit. She stopped when she heard a noise coming from behind the throne. The Queen stepped from behind it and Emma was guarding Regina with her body.

"Are you looking for this?"

The Queen holds out Regina's necklace.

"How did you get that? I gave it to Robin! You didn't…"

"No, Robin was never in the tavern. You had met me. If I had known how you would act around my daughter than I never would've let you near her. You better step away from her, Regina, or you'll get hurt."

"No Mother, I won't let you kill her the way you killed Father."

"He was taking you away from me. You are only supposed to love me!"

The Queen had dark purple magic glowing in the palm of her hand. She had used her magic to push Regina away from Emma. She then used her magic to bind Emma. The blonde wanted to make sure that Regina was okay, but the brunette didn't move.

The Queen was about to throw the ball of magic when a white light had caused her to release Emma. It had extinguished her magic that was in her hand. Emma felt an unknown power flowing through her. Right behind The Queen was a tall mirror that began to shimmer. It was as though the glass had suddenly turned to liquid.

The light shot out of Emma's hands, attached itself to the mirror, and it took hold of The Queen. She did everything she could to keep herself from being trapped by the mirror, but to no avail.

At that moment, Regina opened her eyes. The Queen looked at her with a deep sadness in her eyes. She hoped that her daughter would save her from her fate. Emma wasn't able to push The Queen completely into the mirror. She felt a presence next to her and saw that it was Regina. There was dark purple magic coming out of her hands. It was just enough for her to push her mother into the mirror.

In an instant, The Queen was gone and the tall mirror went back to its original form. The Queen's reflection remained and she tried breaking the glass, but it was useless. Regina used her magic once more and the mirror had vanished.

She turned towards Emma. "I never knew that you had magic."

"Neither did I until now. I'm so sorry about what happened to your mother. I never meant to…"

"I know you didn't. She loved power more than she would ever love me."

Emma held her close and kissed her forehead.

The guards had rushed in and Regina had to explain to them what happened. The guards' expressions were grim after they were told what The Queen had done.

The guard that trained Emma in the arena stepped forward.

"I never liked The Queen, myself. We followed orders because we had to. If I had it my way, she would've been dethroned as soon as the poor King had died."

He put a hand on Regina's shoulder.

"It was a sad day for the kingdom when your father had died, but it makes it even bitter knowing that The Queen was the cause of his downfall."

He paused for a moment before continuing what he was saying to Regina.

"As The Queen is no longer in our land, things must be set accordingly. Princess Regina, the law clearly states that the crown should be passed down to you as you are the last one in line to receive the crown. You may decline, but if you do, then it would have to be voted on who the next King or Queen would be. I doubt we will find anybody more fit to be a queen than you, Your Highness."

"I will be your new Queen."

A few weeks had passed since The Queen had been banished into a mirror. The time had arrived for Regina's coronation. There were so many attending the ceremony that they could barely fit everyone in.

Emma was standing next to her dressed as a white knight as the crown was being placed on Regina's head.

Everyone went down on one knee, even Emma.

"All hail Queen Regina!"

Regina had held Emma's hands and told her to stand up.

"Emma, you will never have to do that again. A Queen needs someone to rule by her side. I don't want anybody else by my side except you."

There was a brief pause as everyone became silent.

Regina was looking up at Emma with such love in her eyes.

"I want you to become my wife, if you'll have me."

Emma responded by picking her up, twirling her around, and kissing her as she put Regina down again.

It was then that the coronation had become a wedding and the two were happily married. Queen Regina ruled her kingdom with a loving hand while Emma was head of the guards. She always was there to protect Regina since she was her True Love after all.


End file.
